CoderDojo-style coding classes to be employed in new schools’ curriculum (video)

Teachers teaching Junior Cert classes will from next year have the option of including 100-hour short courses on coding as part of the reform of the Irish curriculum, the Minister for Training and Skills Ciaran Cannon, TD, told Siliconrepublic.com on the occasion of the second CoderDojo to take place at Dáil Éireann.

It is just over two years since the first CoderDojo took place in Cork. Since then, the movement has grown to become a global phenomenon. On any given Saturday, between 10,000 and 20,000 children worldwide are taught to code in more than 120 dojos in 26 countries, including places such as LA, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, Africa and the Caribbean – all on a voluntary basis.

Yesterday, more than 70 children and their parents and mentors gathered at Leinster House in Dublin to demonstrate their computer coding skills to Oireachtas and Irish Government members.

“It’s incredible and difficult to fathom how it got to this scale, particularly seeing kids today from all over the country with their parents and mentors, it’s a real testament to a real community effort.

“What’s next for CoderDojo will be better infrastructure. We want to see more dojos collaborating and we want to create a forum for kids to show off the work they’ve created.”

Whelton said the learning developed by CoderDojo could indeed be of use to the education system.

“We try to preserve the cool image and keep a healthy distance from formal education. It still has its place outside schools but people are working to bring coding curriculum into the school system,” he said.

It is worth noting that CoderDojo was formed in response to Whelton’s observation that coding – one of the most critical languages for economic success in the 21st century – wasn’t being taught in Irish schools. You could say he has more than proved his point.

Editor John Kennedy is an award-winning technology journalist. He joined Silicon Republic in 2002 to become the fulcrum of the company’s news service
He was recipient of the Irish Internet Association’s NetVisionary Technology Journalist Award 2005 and Siliconrepublic.com has been awarded ‘Best Technology Site’ at the Irish Web Awards seven times. In 2011 he received the David Manley Award commending him for his dedication to covering entrepreneurs.
His interests include all things technological, music, movies, reading, history, gaming and losing the occasional game of poker.

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